Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 46 West Factory Inspection Bureau
The Western Factory was under the leadership of the Imperial Household Department, with the eunuch who was also in charge of the department serving as its governor. It had two bureaus, two departments, and three brigades, with three directly-administered officials.

The so-called "Two Bureaus" were the two secondary administrative units of the Western Factory, the Execution Bureau and the Inspection Bureau. The "Two Departments" were the External Inspection Department and the Internal Inspection Department under the Inspection Bureau.

Before the imperial decree opened the factory, the "temporary Western Factory" only had the Execution Bureau. After the imperial decree opened the factory, the Inspection Bureau was officially established.

The Execution Bureau temporarily organized three Execution Battalions. Each battalion consisted of 81 12-man squads, along with several scout cavalry units. Their primary missions were to guard the factories and arrest individuals according to imperial orders. Furthermore, if the emperor specifically ordered, they might be dispatched to assist the imperial envoy. During this time, the imperial envoy would temporarily assume supreme command of the dispatched execution forces.

The Inspection Bureau was a civilian agency. The External Inspection Department was responsible for monitoring the activities of the twenty-four yamen of the Imperial Household and the Imperial Guards, while the Internal Inspection Department focused on internal oversight of the Western Factory. Items of supervision included: the execution of tasks, monthly financial records, pre-appointment political reviews of officials, and post-appointment inspections of officials.

The Governor of the Western Factory, the Director of the Inspection Bureau, and the Director of the External Inspection Department were collectively known as the Three Direct Officials of the Western Factory, and were appointed and dismissed by the emperor himself.

The Director of the Execution Bureau was to be appointed concurrently by the Director of the Western Depot, who would then submit a petition to the Imperial Household Department for approval. The Director could be the Director concurrently, or another eunuch could be appointed. Currently, the Director of the Execution Bureau was concurrently held by the Director of the Western Depot, Wei Zhongxian.

The head of the Inspection Bureau was not an eunuch, but a concubine personally chosen by the emperor. Because this concubine oversaw the internal affairs of the palace and held immense power, the head of the Inspection Bureau was later referred to as the "Third Consort," after the Empress and the Crown Prince's mother. To prevent the harem from interfering in government, the "Third Consort" automatically resigned upon becoming a Royal Noble Consort or giving birth to a child.

The Director of the Internal Audit Department was appointed by the Emperor with the approval of the Director of the Audit Bureau. The Director could be the Director himself or a eunuch. Currently, the Director of the Internal Audit Department was Mi Mengshang, Director of the Audit Bureau.

The director of the External Inspection Office was still a eunuch, but he was not appointed or dismissed by the factory supervisor or the director of the Inspection Bureau, but by the emperor himself.

The Director of the External Audit Department was the only position among the three direct officials of the Western Factory who was selected through examination and had a term of office.

The appointment of a director was based on two tests. The first was a written test, held every six years. Participation was restricted to eunuchs between the ages of 14 and 18. The top three candidates advanced to an interview, held in the Southern Study of the Qianqing Palace, with only one examiner.

The "Examination for the Chief of the Western Factory's External Inspection Office" was by far the shortest and fastest path to promotion from a minor eunuch to a eunuch. If one was lucky enough to pass, one would ascend to heaven in one step. Even if one left office after six years, they would still be assigned to a confidential position in the inner court.

If one performs well during his tenure, is highly regarded by the emperor, and is recommended by the head of the Imperial Household Department, then it is not impossible for him to directly enter the Imperial Household Department as a secretary.

In principle, the three direct officials of the Western Depot reported to the emperor every six months. However, in practice, only the director of the External Inspection Bureau was required to strictly adhere to this rule. This was because the admiral was a eunuch in charge of writing, and had to serve the emperor daily, while the director of the Inspection Bureau was often a favorite concubine of the emperor.
At present, the eunuch who holds the seal of the External Audit Department of the Inspection Bureau of the Western Investigation Factory is Wang Chengen, the oldest and smartest "full-process verifier" in the "Southern Study Settlement Team".

Wang Cheng'en, fourteen years old, was from Bai'ankou Village, Bai'an Township, Xingtai County, Shunde Prefecture, Northern Zhili. His reasons for entering the palace were the same as those of most eunuchs: poverty and the birth of many children. To feed a new mouth and create a chance for prosperity for his family, Wang Cheng'en's father had to pay a fee to send his youngest son to the palace as a eunuch.

Wang Cheng'en was a gifted man, capable of reading ten lines at a glance and retaining everything he saw. When Wang An personally went to the inner academy to select students for Mi Cairen, he immediately took a liking to him. Even Wang An's attendant eunuch Cao Huachun was fond of him.

Wang Cheng'en didn't pass the exam to become a director, as Mi Cairen only had six students, and even if they were all assigned to the Inspection Bureau, they wouldn't be able to fill the vacancies. To get the Western Factory up and running quickly, Zhu Changluo only conducted simple one-on-one interviews with these six eunuchs. All six interviews took less than two quarters of an hour.

The best performer among them was Wang Cheng'en. Although he still didn't have a clear understanding of the concepts of oversight and checks and balances, he was at least able to maintain a proper balance of humility and eloquence, and his responses were fluent. Compared to the eunuchs who trembled with fear and could barely speak clearly when alone with the emperor, he was far superior.

"Your name is Wang Chengen?"

"Your Majesty, my name is Wang Chengen."

"very good."

The emperor seemed not to be praising his own answer, but rather his own name. Whenever Wang Cheng'en recalled his private audience with the emperor, he would recall the emperor's slightly approving smile. "Director, the men are here." Although the External Inspection Division was a civilian agency, it still had a general flag of military strength at the director's disposal.

"Okay, thank you." Wang Chengen was a new official with no experience. Plus, the person who came to report to him before looked like he could almost be his father, so he subconsciously said thank you.

"It is my duty, so I dare not express my gratitude." The visitor knelt on one knee and bowed to decline.

The officials of the Ming Dynasty had an order! Wang Chengen immediately reacted.

Fear leads to a lack of respect, and excessive modesty leads to a lack of authority. He straightened his collar, assumed a self-righteous seriousness, and said in a deep voice, "Let him in!"

A moment later, the most critical witness in the "Dongchang embezzlement and extortion case" walked into the hall of the director of the External Audit Department.

"Are you Zheng Lian?" Wang Chengen asked.

"My original name was Guan Liu, but after entering the government, Zheng Guotai gave me the name Zheng Lian!" The beatings with salt water whips from the East Depot left a psychological scar on Zheng Lian. Now, whenever someone in official uniform asked him his name, he would kneel and recount his original name and the process of changing it, from beginning to end.

Wang Cheng'en thought his pretense had worked, and he couldn't help but feel a little proud. "I am Wang Cheng'en, Director of the External Inspection Department of the Western Inspection Bureau. I have a few questions for you, and you must answer them truthfully."

"I understand! I will tell you everything I know." Zheng Lian kowtowed a few more times.

"Very good. Before I ask, I have an obligation to explain this to you." Wang Chengen picked up his teacup and pretended to take a sip. "This case isn't the 'Zheng Mansion Confiscation Case' but the 'East Factory Embezzlement and Extortion Case,' so you're a witness, not a suspect."

"In principle, our company won't torture you. But you must tell the truth, and tell it completely. No lies, no nitpicking. Your testimony will be compared with that of the suspect and other witnesses in this case. If there are any discrepancies, we'll conduct repeated reviews until we find the liar!"

"The Western Factory has a rule that if a witness lies, he will be treated as an accomplice regardless of the reason! Then the trial will not be conducted by me, do you understand?" Wang Chengen got the hang of it.

"I understand!" Zheng Lian understood that this official, who was younger than his son, was here to liquidate the East Factory. But this made him hesitate.

He'd revealed Zheng Yangxing's wealth, firstly because of Zou Kai's unreasonable tyranny, and secondly because the Zheng family was completely ruined, with no chance of a comeback. But who knew if this kid in front of him had any connection to the East Factory? What if he was just being held high and then let down again? Would he still be alive?
Wang Chengen threw two books in front of Zheng Lian. "Do you recognize this?"

Boom! Seeing the two almost identical account books, Zheng Lian, who had just raised his head, knocked his head to the ground again: "Please have mercy, sir!"

"Glad to know." Wang Chengen nodded, then bowed toward the Forbidden City. "Commander-in-Chief Cui Wensheng of the East Depot has already informed the Emperor of all his accounting fraud, corruption, and extortion. Do you understand me?"

"Please show me a way to survive!" Zheng Lian suddenly collapsed and banged his head against the stone floor again and again.

Wang Chengen took a moment to understand Zheng Lian's actions. "I simply want to tell you that this case is an imperial one, and we'll investigate it thoroughly. You don't have to worry about retaliation from the Eastern Depot. Furthermore, if you become a witness, your previous crimes will be considered complicity, and your punishment could be mitigated or even waived!"

"Thank you, sir!"

(End of this chapter)